March 2017

This morning I was pleased to join Labour Council candidates from Cardiff Central at the launch of Cardiff Labour’s manifesto ahead of the upcoming local elections. We have a strong team of Labour Council candidates across Cardiff Central, and I am looking forward to getting out on the doorstep and speaking to voters ahead of the elections on May 4th. …

I opposed the UK leaving the EU, and resigned as Shadow Secretary of State for Wales and from the Shadow Cabinet in order to vote against the triggering of Article 50. The Government is now starting negotiations with no clear plan, contradictory statements and a threat to European partners about counter-terrorism and security co-operation, unless a satisfactory trade deal …

I was pleased to meet this week with The Royal British Legion’s Wales Area Manager Antony Metcalfe to discuss support for the Armed Forces community in Wales. The Royal British Legion provides welfare assistance thousands of veterans, serving personnel and their families in Wales every year. It is also the national custodian of Remembrance, best known for its emblem the …

On Monday I was pleased to join a cross party group of MPs, charities and transport sector representatives in Westminster to learn more about Samaritans’ lifesaving work with the rail industry. Around 1 in 6 staff on the rail network in Britain have taken part in training or awareness raising to spot members of the public who may be at risk, …

The Big Lottery Fund, ITV and The National Lottery have teamed up to give the public the chance to decide how £3 million of National Lottery funding can make a difference in their area. The People’s Projects is an opportunity to celebrate some of the incredible projects the Big Lottery Fund has supported over the past year. With 95 shortlisted …

Last week I was pleased to sign up to support WWF’s tenth Earth Hour by making a special pledge to help protect the planet. The world is changing – fast – and it’s never been more important to show support for action on climate change. I was one of many MPs who joined WWF at the House of Commons this …

Today I joined Labour Students in Parliament to support their priority #amillionmorevoices campaign. Labour Students are urging the Government to introduce automatic voter registration in all higher education institutions across the country. Following the Governments shambolic introduction of ‘individual voter registration’ last year, some estimate that up to a million people will have fallen off the electoral register since its …

On Wednesday 8 March 2017, I again showed my support for a mass lobby of Parliament organised by the Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) campaign. UNISON were supporting the lobby and my Labour colleague and friend Carolyn Harris, MP for Swansea East who is Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on WASPI, arranged for WASPI campaigners from Wales to meet and hear from their MPs. …

This morning I asked the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union to confirm the government’s aim about whether the UK will be part of the customs union. The Prime Minister and the Chancellor have completely contradicted each other. I am extremely concerned by the Government’s attitude to the Brexit negotiations. There is a complete lack of clarity. This …

A project to create a ‘Women’s Quilt’, made of patches decorated with the names of the 500 plus women who were murdered by a partner or former partner between 2009-2015, was launched in Parliament today on International Women’s Day. Women from across the whole country have taken part in this project. It’s a beautifully evocative quilt with each patch designed …